Barbara survived more than 50 years of top class stoolball without serious injury.

But when she tried watching evening cricket at the County Ground in Hove the Essex batsman Graham Napier accidentally smashed a six into her face as the ball got lost in the floodlights.

Barbara, 66, of Amberley Close, Burgess Hill, a former county stoolballer, joked: "Graham wrote on a picture 'Keep your eye on the ball' the cheeky whatsit.

"If I'd have seen it I would have done. I was a stoolball player, I'd have tried to catch it.

"I played stoolball for about 52 years and I only once got hit in the face, just before I packed up, but not nearly as bad as this.

"The funny thing is, if you can call it funny, the family persuaded me to pack up stoolball because they were afraid I'd get hit, so I go to watch cricket instead and this happens."

Paramedics treated Barbara, who has since been treated to an evening with the Sussex committee at another match at the Sussex ground.

She also enjoyed a visit to the Essex ground last week, where she watched the powerful Napier batter Sussex again with a record Twenty20 match innings of 152 and received a photograph from him.

For more on this story see this week's Mid Sussex Times. Register below to add your comments on this story.